Buckles for safety belts and the like



April 9, 1968 o. L. LINDBLAD BUCKLES FOR SAFETY BELTS AND THE LIKE FiledDec. 5, 1965 INVENTOR OSKAR LENA/ART LINDBLAD ATTORNEYS United StatesPatent 3,376,613 BUCKLES FOR SAFETY BELTS AND THE LIKE Oskar L.Lind'blad, Vargarda, Sweden Filed Dec. 3, 1965, Ser. No. 511,700 Claimspriority, application Sweden, Dec. 5, 1964, 14,734/ 64 1 Claim. (CI.24-74) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present buckles have a buckleframe of a handle shaped configuration with an internal cross-bar ofovate cross-section, a bearing member with a bearing surface adjacentthe apex of said cross-bar whereby a belt end portion can pass aroundsaid cross-bar and be positioned against said bearing surface and a pairof normal passageways in said buckle frame for receiving a second endportion of the belt whereby a pull on said belt end portions willdetachably retain the same to said buckle frame.

Description The present buckles are particularly for use in safety beltsand the like, with said buckle being adapted for attachment to one endof a belt, such as for example the end of a safety belt, and the bucklehaving provision for the threading therethrough of another belt-endportion for the purpose of detachably connecting the said latter beltendportion in position after it has been threaded through the buckle.

The invention which aims at creating a buckle of the kind mentionedabove which is reliable in operation and comfortabel to handle, issubstantially characterised in that, for the purpose of being able tothread the second belt-end portion through the buckle, this is providedwith a curved, longitudinally extending duct or channel, both ends ofwhich terminate on the side facing the wearer when in its normalposition of use, the said side of the buckle being provided with aportion against which the belt-end portion emerging from the channel isheld tight by pressure when the belt is subjected to a pulling force.

The channel is preferably designed with an outwardly wideningconfiguration at the end of the buckle where the belt-end portion isintroduced. The portion forming the internal wall of the channel mayhave a pear-shaped cross section, with the narrow end located betweenthe inlet and outlet openings of the channel.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the buckleaccording to the invention, for use particularly in safety belts. In thedrawings, FIGURE 1 shows the buckle as well as the end portions of thetwo belt-ends detachably joined together by means of the buckle, eachbelt-end forming part of a safety belt, the said figure displaying theoutward appearance when the buckle is in its position of use; FIGURE 2is a longitudinal cross section along the line 11-11 of FIGURE 1 wherethe run of the belt is indicated by dash-dot lines; FIG- URE 3 is a sideelevation showing the buckle in a position relative to the belts whichfacilitates the release of the belt-end threaded through the saidbuckle; and FIG- URE 4 is a partly broken view of the buckle from theside facing the wearer when the belt is in use.

Referring to the drawings, numerals 1 and 2 denote two portions of anadjustable and detachable safety belt which are intended to bedetachably joined together by means of a buckle frame which in itsentirety has been denoted by the numeral 3. In a manner more fullydescribed below, the buckle frame 3 is attached to the end 1 of a beltshown on the left-hand side in FIGURE 1. The wall 4 of the buckle frame3 which extends in the longitudinal direction of the belt and faces thebelt portion 2, is designed as a handle-shaped portion, shown in FIGURE2. Approximately midway between the end portion of the buckle frame 3joined to the belt-end portion 1, and the top wall 4, the buckle frame 3is provided with a passageway 5, curved in its longitudinal directionand serving the purpose of accommodating the belt-end portion 2, withthe outlet ends of passageway 5 denoted by the numerals 5a and 5bterminating in close proximity to each other on the side of the buckleframe 3 which faces the wearer of the belt. In the embodiment shown inthe drawings, the cross-bar 7, which forms the internal wall of thechannel 5, has a pear-shaped cross section, with the apex thereoflocated between the mouths 5a and 5b of the passageway 5. In oneexample, as shown in the drawings, the cross-bar 7 may be made as aseparate piece in the form of a bar of uniform cross-section throughoutits length. As will appear from FIGURE 4, the end portions of thecross-bar 7 are seated in correspondingly shaped openings in the sideWalls 3a and 312 depending from wall 4 of the buckle frame 3 and securedthereto by any suitable means.

For attachment of the belt portion 2 to the buckle frame 3, the free endof the said portion 2 is introduced into the opening 5a of thepassageway 5, which opening is constructed with an outwardly wideninggap or mouth for the purpose of facilitating the introduction of thebelt-end portion 2, and said portion is then pushed through the curvedpassageway 5. The belt-end portion 2a, subsequently emerging from thechannel 5, is then laid around and along the flat bearing section 6a ofthe bearing member 6 of the buckle frame and which is located close tothe opening 5b of the channel 5. The said belt-end portion 2a will then,upon being subjected to pulling, be pressed firmly against the fiatbearing surface 6a of the buckle frame 3. With the aid of thehandle-shaped top wall 4, the buckle frame 3 can be swung in thedirection indicated by the arrow A in FIGURE 3 to the position shown inthat figure, where the belt-end portion 2 can be released from thebearing member 6 and withdrawn from the channel 5 or displaced in eitherdirection for the purposes of shortening or increasing the operativelength of the belt-end portion 2.

As an aid in attaching the belt-end portion 1 to the buckle frame 3, thelatter has been provided with a through channel 8 running from inside tooutside of the buckle frame in its normal position of use, and also withan additional channel 9 running substantially in a perpendiculardirection relative to the channel 8. One end of the said channel 9communicates with the channel 8, whereas the other end of the saidchannel 9 opens out towards the left hand side of the buckle frame 3 asshown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. From the inner side of the buckleframe 3 the end of belt-portion 1 is thus threaded through the channel 8and over the outside of the buckle frame 3, around the part denoted by10 in FIGURE 2 which part 10 is delimited by the channels 8 and 9, thenback through the channel 9 to the channel 8 and through channel 8 backto the inner side of the buckle frame 3, where it emerges as end-portion1a. As will be evident from FIGURE 2, the belt-end portion 1, whensubjected to pulling, will press its free end portion 1a against thebuckle frame portion denoted by 11 in FIGURE 2 which is also delimitedby the channels 8 and 9. The buckle frame portion 11 thus hassubstantially the same function and effect on the belt-end portion 1 asthe bearing member 6 has on the belt-end portion 2, and the portion 10of the buckle frame has its corresponding equivalent in the buckle framepart 7 which forms the internal wall of the channel 5.

The foregoing embodiment is described by way of example only, and itwill be apparent that detail changes may be made without deviating fromthe invention defined in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

1. A buckle for receiving adjustable and detachable belts, comprising abuckle frame having a top wall and side walls depending therefrom, across-bar having a generally ovate cross-section with an apex at one endthereof, said cross-bar being connected between said side walls, saidframe having a passageway formed around the periphery of said cross-barto accommodate a belt portion, a bearing member having a first portioncooperating with a portion of the peripheral surface of said ovatecrossbar to form part of said passageway, said bearing member having afiat bearing surface remote from said top wall forming a bight portionwith said first bearing member portion, and said bight portion beingspaced from the apex of said ovate cross-bar by said passageway, said 154 stand the pressure exerted by said belt portion when the second beltportion is subjected to a pulling force.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 352,039 11/1886 Carroll 24-2002,846,745 8/1958 Lathrop 24200 X 7 3,192,588 7/1965 White 24-200 FOREIGNPATENTS 877,473 9/ 1961 Great Britain.

OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Examiner.

G. WEIDENFELD, Assistant Examiner.

